City Council asked to donate land to trust
The city of Cape Coral has more than 100 properties listed as surplus, meaning there is no projected use for the property.
Monday, during the regular City Council meeting at City Hall, the board voted unanimously to declare these parcels as surplus and authorized the city manager to sell the properties.
But not before a local wildlife organization asked the City Council if it could donate some of that land to them, especially if the sites have endangered wildlife living there.
Dawn Andrews of the real estate division said 109 city-owned properties would be affected and put up for advertisement for sale. Andrews said the just value of the properties is more than $4.48 million.
During public input on the ordinance, several members of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust spoke about the city, perhaps, donating some of the land to them should there be wildlife such as gopher tortoises, burrowing owls or other threatened species.
The trust has purchased seven lots since last year, with four of them housing a colony of gopher tortoises, which is considered a threatened species and have survived the Utilities Expansion Project going on in the northeast area of the city.
The trust also owns three properties with burrowing owls, which are getting ready to nest.
“The surplus lots occupied by the gopher tortoises and burrowing owls would be a great addition to the trust. I don’t think the city is doing anything to purchase land to set aside for these animals,” Cheryl Anderson said. “We can fulfill this obligation for you by managing this land. These animals seem quite happy living on city lots.”
Councilmember Rick Williams praised the trust’s work and said any land they need should be given to them. However, the ordinance had nothing to do with donating property, but to just declare the land as surplus.
“You still have an opportunity to talk to the city and try to negotiate something with them,” Williams said. “There’s also a problem, in that some of that property is encumbered. We still owe money on that.”
The Cape Coral Wildlife Trust appeared to be optimistic that something can be accomplished.
“I think Council was very positive. I didn’t detect anything that they would be against this,” Anderson said. “We need to isolate which properties are appropriate and they would be the ones with tortoises and owls and would be hard to sell,” Anderson said.
“It’s a great idea for the city to work hand-in-hand with the trust that will work to carry out the city’s mission,” said Pascha Donaldson, president of the trust.
In other business, the City Council approved for transmittal to the state amendments to certain elements of the city’s comprehensive plan.
The ordinance amended the Conservation and Coastal Management, Housing, Future Land Use, Infrastructure, Recreation and Open Space, and Transportation elements of the plan, with much of the changed language in the elements were of a housekeeping nature.
The city also amended its land-use regulations regarding walls, allowing for the use of galvanized steel privacy panels. Before, wood, concrete block with stucco, concrete with or without stucco, stone or brick, wrought iron, aluminum, chain-link without slats and plastic/vinyl were only allowed.